


that's the easy part

by yawnralphio



Series: Fictober20 [2]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Gen, fictober20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26958430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yawnralphio/pseuds/yawnralphio
Summary: Chimney gives Buck some advice on being the rookie.
Series: Fictober20 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967260
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	that's the easy part

Chimney walked through the massive bay doors with a spring in his step, a jacket slung over his shoulder. He whistled softly as he made his way deeper into the firehouse, greeting a few crew members from the previous shift. Cheers erupted behind him as their game of ping pong ended, the victor starting up the tired trash talk that they were all used to.

He kept on, walking a little taller as he entered the locker room.

Buck was seated on the bench in front of the lockers, his boots on but unlaced. Tension rolled off him in waves as he sat hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees.

When Chimney entered, Buck sniffed loudly and sat up, throwing what might have been a rag or a dirty t-shirt into his locker. He didn’t acknowledge Chimney at all.

Chimney hung his jacket, and went about getting ready for the night. Buck did the same, his movements stiff as he laced up his boots. He finished getting ready and resumed his hunched position, staring up at the name tag above his locker.

“What’s wrong?” Chimney sighed, finally giving in. Buck wasn’t usually known for throwing temper tantrums, but it was better to head it off at the pass anyway. Cap wouldn’t like riding in the rig with Buck.

“Nothing,” Buck replied, rubbing the back of his wrist over his nose.

“Okay,” Chimney laughed at him, then stood. He made it to the doorway before Buck spoke again.

“How did you do it?”

Chimney turned around, brows raised half in amusement and half in surprise at just how easy it was to break through Buck’s defenses. He folded his arms and leaned against the edge of the glass wall. Buck turned toward him on the bench, desperate.

“Do what?”

“Live through being the rookie. I hate this. Bobby’s always breathing down my neck, like he’s just waiting for me to screw up.”

“Yeah, well, he is,” Chimney said, glancing over his shoulder to see who might be near enough to hear them. “And you do kinda screw up a lot.”

Buck’s lips pressed into a line as he stared flatly at Chimney. He shook his head and made to turn back to his locker.

“Look. Cap’s gotta ride the rookie, and right now it just so happens to be you. You haven’t lost anyone yet, you still think you’re invincible, but sooner or later you’re gonna learn that you put on your gear the same way everybody else does. At the end of the day, that’s the easy part.”

“So you’re saying I should screw up?” Buck narrowed his eyes.

Chimney took a breath and let it out slowly, amazed at the thickness of Buck’s skull. “I’m saying, until he trusts you not to go full daredevil on every call, he’s going to keep being hard on you. It’s his job to make sure you get through probation. Whether or not you learn to live with it is up to you.”

Buck lowered his gaze to Chimney’s feet, but some of the stiffness seemed to leech out of him. He nodded after a moment.

“You’ll get there,” Chimney said, straightening up from the wall. He unfolded his arms and turned away, leaving Buck to his thoughts. He started whistling the beginning of Ring of Fire, and the same spring in his step returned.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://yawnralphio.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Reblog [here](https://yawnralphio.tumblr.com/post/630888016517480448/2-thats-the-easy-part-chimney-walked-through-the).


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